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PROG 280 – Cloud Computing (5 credits)

Cloud computing is one of the fastest growing, and most important, technologies used in the digital world. In 2011, there were 150 million consumer cloud subscriptions. In 2012, there will be approximately 500 million. In 2013, the number is expected to rise to 625 million, and it should reach over a billion by 2017. End users rely on the cloud to store and create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Developers use the cloud to host databases, web servers, web based applications, blogs, and even IDE’s. Huge changes are fueled by the growth of the cloud. Several years ago, Microsoft and Apache were in a dead heat for dominance of the web server business. Now Apache has 64 percent of the load, and the Microsoft IIS share has dropped to 14 percent. To handle the vast growth of cloud based computing, new types of databases (NOSQL, MongoDB) and new distributed platforms (Hadoop) are emerging. Smart phones and tablets are helping drive this move to the cloud. There are now more Android devices than PCs, and the robust growth of Apple only adds to the importance of this new segment of Internet aware tools. If we want to access our data from both PCs and mobile devices, we can’t store it on a PC; we need to move it to the cloud. Prog 280 is designed to help you become familiar with cloud computing and its rapidly growing job market. It focuses on familiar feeling cloud tools like Google Docs, WordPress and Windows SkyDrive, and on tools that will feel quite strange to some students, such as MediaWiki, Freebase, and Hadoop. You will learn to use cloud hosted virtual machines running both the Microsoft and Linux operating systems, and learn how to create applications that can make your hosted data available on most hardware platforms. Throughout this process, the best students will keep an open mind as they explore new and unexpected technologies, and as they discover familiar technologies hosted in the cloud. Our goal is to learn to embrace all these tools, gain mastery over them, and have fun exploring them.

PROG 272 – Implementing a Mobile Solution (5 credits)

Mobile devices are quickly becoming ubiquitous. In Singapore, 92% of adults own smartphones, and in the US, that number is 78%. Corporations and individuals both want to tap into this broad user base. Job seekers want to find jobs in this fast growing field. In Prog 272, we will learn how to use HTML 5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Python and PHP to create native applications that can be deployed to the iPhone, iPod, Android, Windows Phone and other mobile device platforms. Rather than focus on platform specific technologies such as ObjectiveC (iPhone) or the Android SDK, we will use the open source PhoneGap framework to create native applications that tap into the core features found on every smartphone or tablet. We will explore how to access a device’s contact list, geolocation services, camera, local file system, accelerometer, media player and notification system. PhoneGap is based on HTML5, JavaScript and CSS. HTML5 is currently the most sought after job skill in the development world. jQuery, a JavaScript framework we will use frequently, is currently one of the fastest growing job segments in some parts of the development world. JavaScript is a language that feels much like C# or Java, but which has its own unexpected quirks, strengths and weaknesses. We will explore all these technologies, and other important languages such as PHP and Python, both of which have been singled out by TIOBE for its Programming language hall of fame. By mastering these skills, students will learn how to use cloud computing, virtual machines, and mobile devices to make data driven applications that are available to the billions of users that own mobile devices.

Internship Opportunities available at BC

Tech Salaries Projected to Increase in 2013

GeekWire
According to newly released annual salary guide from professional consulting company Robert Half International, salaries for technology professionals are increasing across the board. From administration to app development to technical support, each of the 75 jobs listed have projected salary increases. Salaries for tech positions will increase an average of 5.3 percent, which is the largest spike among all fields researched by Robert Half. The study provided local variances for 150 markets and Seattle salary ranges came in at 1.18% higher than average.Robert Half International